Mostly About Organized Crime

04/18/2014

Colombo-mobster-turned-Christian-evangelical Michael Franzese knew Al Sharpton back in the day, and the reformed mobster alleges the good reverend is not coming clean with his mob past as reported by Jerry Capeci for Gang Land News: "He was a gun for hire, our gun for hire," recalled Franzese, and "he built his reputation on defending the civil rights of blacks, but he would exploit them for money."

01/22/2011

Michael Holmes from CNN speaks with former Colombo capo Michael Franzese about the round up last Thursday of more than 100 suspected mobsters:

Franzese is now a Christian evangelical and motivational speaker. His father, reputed Colombo underboss John "Sonny" Franzese, was sentenced earlier this month to eight years in prison following his racketeering conviction involving loan shark operations and strip club shakedowns.

09/16/2010

06/10/2010

Yesterday John Franzese Jr. testified against his reputed Colombo underboss father, and today Sonny's defense lawyer Richard Lind attempted to impugn his credibility on cross-examination by suggesting he exposed women to HIV through unprotected sex as reported by John Marzulli and Corky Siemaszko for the Daily News. John Jr. previously has struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction, and in 1990 contracted HIV. Lind asked the mob scion: "You told Michael Franzese you had unprotected sex with women?" The judge directed John Jr. not to answer the question, and his brother Michael -- a former Colombo capo turned Christian evangelist -- told a Daily News reporter that John Jr. "didn't confide that in me." Lind further attempted to malign John Jr. by suggesting that he was testifying against his father "because authorities agreed to help pay for his treatment" as reported by Janon Fisher for the New York Post; however, the only financial assistance John Jr. is receiving is $100 a week for expenses from the LA County Sheriff's Office.

The humiliating confrontation - which ended with his spurned spouse's arrest - started when she hijacked the 93-year-old John (Sonny) Franzese's wheelchair and rolled the Nod Father into the men's room at Brooklyn Federal Court. "Son of a bitch!" a furious Franzese could be heard yelling at 75-year-old Cristina Capobianco-Franzese. "Let me go to the bathroom!" Seconds later, she emerged from the rest room and began yelling at Lorraine Scorsone, her husband's daughter by a mistress. "He should plead guilty and let my son live his life," she screamed as startled jurors were walking to a nearby elevator. "Give his kid a break and plead guilty. I want my son to have a break. It's the last child I have."